Han Jia eagerly turned on the TV and switched to Yunteng TV.
"A new week begins…"
Last week's episode had left her hanging so badly. It had her mood in knots for days. Now—
"Please let this get resolved smoothly!"
Stories of friendships falling apart over rumors were all too familiar in real life. Han Jia had experienced similar things herself. And sometimes, when you can't solve things in reality, you end up projecting those emotions onto the dramas you watch.
As the soft, soothing theme song came to an end, 'Kimi ni Todoke' Episode 3 began.
Because she was worried that the rumors about her would harm her friends, Sawako deliberately avoided interacting with the rest of the class—
Ryu, Yoshida Chizuru, Yano Ayane, and… Kazehaya Shouta.
But at the same time, it was obvious how much that choice was hurting her. She desperately wanted to find the source of the rumors and stop them from hurting the people she cared about.
Within minutes, the episode drew the TV audience right into the story.
Sawako, plagued by thoughts of what was happening…
Even when others had spent over a decade spreading ridiculous claims that she could commune with spirits and bring curses, she'd never cried.
But now—while silently completing her midterm exam—tears began to fall.
"My heart aches for her…"
"Focus on your exam! Otherwise, you'll lose your #1 class rank!"
"For her, I think friendship means far more than a top ranking."
"God, this hurts. I just want to help her fill out her test. As someone who's been #1 from grade school through PhD, I can't stand the idea of getting distracted during an exam. If I lost my top spot, I'd probably slap myself ten times."
"Why are you guys so obsessed with the test scores? That's not the point!"
"Sawako is so gentle. Sigh…"
"I—I've always been happy. I've always longed for this, always chased after it… So now, I don't know how to go back to being alone. I've already felt what it's like to be treated with kindness by others. I don't know how to return to the past anymore."
"How can I move forward alone again? I don't remember how to do it…"
That inner monologue from Sawako hit Han Jia so hard that she broke down in tears on the spot.
It was just too relatable.
On the way home after the test…
Once again, Kazehaya Shouta was there, waiting for her.
"Please… don't talk to me."
Sawako hesitated, her tone reluctant.
But halfway through her sentence, she broke.
She couldn't keep it in any longer—and sobbed.
"I can't… I can't lie like that."
"I'm sorry. Because of me, your reputation at school has taken a hit."
At last, the two of them finally confronted what had been bothering them for days. And Sawako, prompted by his questions, revealed the real reason she'd been avoiding him.
"Shouta is too gentle…"
"This is what the ideal male lead looks like. Stepping up when the girl's in trouble, helping her untangle her emotional mess."
"Sawako crying is so cute!"
"Seriously—how is a heroine this adorable when she cries?! I'm heartbroken and laughing at the same time."
"Wait—Shouta just grabbed her wrist!"
"KISS HER ALREADY!"
"Please, Shouta! Just kiss her and stop her from crying!"
"Sigh… Shouta, this was your golden chance. And what do you do? Talk logic. WHEN are you guys going to confess? We're three episodes in and still no kiss. Meanwhile, over on 'Stardust', the female lead is already picking out baby names…"
"Whether it's rumors or slander, none of it matters. That's not for you to decide—it's for me. If I want to talk to you, I will. If I want to be your friend, I'll approach you. If I were scared of those rumors, I wouldn't be here now, talking to you like this. Rumors don't matter."
"To me, the Sawako I see… is Sawako."
This male lead…
Jing Yu-sensei, you…
Han Jia gulped down a mouthful of water.
Other girls had classmates like Kazehaya Shouta. The one she remembered from her own high school days? The jerk who tied her shoelaces to her chair so she'd trip and bleed from her mouth.
But the very next moment—tears again.
The mood. The atmosphere. The writing.
There were no billionaire heirs. No omnipotent side characters.
Just ordinary high school students living out ordinary days.
And yet—
You felt like you were one of them. Like you were reliving your own high school life.
"I want… to be with everyone."
Finally, in front of Shouta, Sawako spoke her heart.
It wasn't about not being allowed to get close—
It was that he wouldn't let her go.
And in that moment, Shouta captured not just Sawako's heart,
But every single viewer watching—especially the women.
"Jealous."
"Jing Yu-sensei wrote this character perfectly."
"He must be a flirt in real life, too—how else could he come up with a male lead this perfect?"
"Damn it—I'm not jealous of Sawako, because Shouta is hers. I'm jealous of Xia Yining! How does she get to work with Jing Yu-sensei on so many projects?!"
"Girls, we're not sleeping tonight. After watching this, I then looked at my boyfriend… I want to break up."
The misunderstanding with Shouta had finally been cleared up.
But things with Chizuru and Yano hadn't been resolved yet.
The two girls, still hurt by what they misunderstood Sawako to mean, found themselves at the bridge late at night, talking quietly about her.
They thought they were friends. But that line—"Rather than saying I like you…"
It confused and stung.
Then—
The scene shifted to the school bathroom.
Girls from another class were talking trash about them.
Sawako rushed over to confront them, hoping to defend Chizuru and Yano—only to get backed into a corner.
The lead girl sneered with contempt:
"Who are you trying to stop? Don't want me to call the delinquent and the slut what they are?"
Han Jia nearly had a stroke watching this.
"What the hell?! What kind of attitude is this?!"
Fan chat exploded:
"I want to punch someone."
"Eat my Flying Sword Slash!"
"Hand me a knife."
"I'm losing it! Why are girls like this? The way they talk is ten times more insulting than usual. They're asking for a fight!"
"Sawako, stop being so soft—slap her already!"
"If it were me, I'd have torn their mouths off."
"Don't try to reason with them! This isn't the time to be gentle and beg them to stop badmouthing Chizuru and Yano—it won't work!"
"With that kind of smug attitude, it has to be them who started the rumors!"
The chaos escalated. A whole group surrounded Sawako in the bathroom.
Outside, a crowd gathered—Shouta, Chizuru, and Yano among them.
"Take back what you just said. You've got it all wrong. What you're saying about Chizuru and Yano—none of it's true!"
Sawako tried to explain. But she was shoved to the ground, her attacker's foot pressing down on her.
Han Jia could barely take it.
Rise! Fight back! Get your dirty foot off her, you witch!
And the taunts didn't stop.
They mocked Yano and Chizuru to her face, threatening to make Sawako admit to the rumors or face the consequences.
"It's okay… Even if you don't spare me. Just… take it back. Everything you said was wrong. You don't know anything…"
"When everyone else avoided me, they were the ones who treated me with kindness. You have no idea how much I like them. I… I love them the most."
Even then, Sawako was still trying to reason with them.
Rather than "like"… it's "love the most."
When Chizuru and Yano burst into the bathroom and pulled the bullies off her—
Han Jia couldn't hold it in anymore.
Yes, maybe Sawako was too gentle. Maybe this wasn't the time to be reasoning with anyone.
But her love for Chizuru and Yano, and the way they stepped in at just the right moment—
Whether or not Sawako spread the rumors—did it even matter?
Some things, once they're out there, can never be explained away.
But when those two girls came to her rescue, they were saying something loud and clear—
No matter what's said in the future, they won't believe a word of it. They believe in Sawako.
Tears.
"Reminds me of a colleague I was once close to… We fell out over something small."
"Damn, even as a guy, I'm crying into a tissue right now."
"This is what friendship looks like."
"This drama… It's phenomenal."
"Sawako is amazing. Chizuru is amazing. Yano is amazing."
"Here I am, crying at midnight again. Jing Yu-sensei can make you cry in a tragedy and a romance."
"Why do people still not want to watch this drama? The folks around me are all watching Stardust and Summer Echo instead. Ugh."
"Three episodes into a romance drama, and two of them are about friendship. That's peak Jing Yu-sensei."
"It's so well written. I wish I had a friend like Sawako…"
Han Jia took a deep breath.
But her emotions were still in turmoil.
She'd watched a lot of dramas before—but few ever moved her like this.
"It's so delicate. The emotional depth. The inner world of the characters…"
She cried, yes—but after it ended, there was warmth in her heart.
Episode 3 ended in tears and comfort.
Its peak rating hit 7.87%, with an average of 7.62%,
still the highest-rated show in Week Three of the winter season.
When Liang Hui saw the numbers, she was lost for words.
"How am I still losing? Even in Week Three? And still losing by exactly 0.1%?!"
Before the season began, she had boldly claimed she'd take the seasonal crown with no problem. After all, in her screenwriting career, she'd won five seasonal championships and two annual viewership titles.
And yet…
That night, 'Kimi ni Todoke' fans flooded forums and chat groups, discussing the episode well into the early morning.
Even Jing Yu's QingYun account comment section was lit up.
"Jing Yu-sensei, please—just let Shouta and Sawako confess already. It's time."
"Don't listen to them! Give us more Chizuru and Yano scenes—I love these two side characters!"
"And more Ryu, too! That silent, handsome guy is super intriguing!"
"Y'all are nuts—this is a romance drama and you're stanning the side characters?!"
"Let Sawako and Shouta confess already! Love and friendship can coexist, can't they?"
"Seriously, I'm going crazy. Just one of them needs to make a move!"
"Think they'll confess in Episode 4?"
"Could happen. But who knows, something might get in the way again. That said—Episode 5 is a must!"
"I swear, if they don't confess by Episode 4, I'm gonna die of suspense!"
Late that night, fans were even DMing Jing Yu, begging him not to drag it out.
He chuckled when he saw the messages.
In his past life, he'd binge-watched 'Kimi ni Todoke' in one go. So while he understood the tension, he also knew things would resolve.
But for weekly viewers?
It must've been torture.
Dropping the show wasn't an option—but keeping up was agonizing.
Jing Yu couldn't truly relate, but he could imagine.
So, at the very least, he gave a bit of reassurance.
He replied to one fan's message—and pinned the reply on his QingYun account.
"Soon. You'll all see Shouta and Sawako confess very soon. It's going to be really sweet~"
After all, it was only about ten more weeks until the finale. They'd definitely be together by then. That wasn't long at all.
Unlike fans of the original manga, who waited years for that moment. That series was monthly, after all.
So technically… "soon" wasn't a lie.
And his pinned reply, posted at 3 a.m., quickly attracted a flood of responses:
"Haha, with your word, I can rest easy, Jing Yu-sensei."
"Honestly, QingYun is such a great app! First time I've felt this close to a top screenwriter."
"For once, QingYun Group actually made something useful instead of just hiking up our electric bills!"
"Alright, I'm off to bed. Satisfied with the episode. Touched by the reply. I'll sleep well tonight."
"But seriously—how soon is soon?"
"It has to be next week!"
"Next week, for sure, right?"
"If soon means soonest, then yeah—it's next week!"
"You guys are making it impossible to sleep now. Episode 4 confession: LET'S GO!"
"Haha, I can already imagine the confession scene. It's gonna be chaotic."
After replying, Jing Yu finally went to sleep.
What he didn't know was—
That single line: "very soon"—
It would, in the weeks to come, become the most legendary meme among 'Kimi ni Todoke' fans during the winter season.